FROM PAGE 12

on for our colleagues who are Bangladeshis and for the people of Bangladesh,” Lewis said, highlighting Bangladesh’s progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

“Young people and people from every range of life across Bangladesh came out on the streets to celebrate,” Lewis said, referencing the public response to Hasina’s resignation.

She acknowledged that some celebrations turned violent, leading to destruction, attacks on police stations, and the killing of police officers deemed “aligned with the government”.

Over the past weeks, more than 300 civilians have been killed and over 20,000 injured in student-led protests, marking some of the worst bloodshed in Bangladesh’s history, she added.

Relative calm returned yesterday morning, but Lewis warned that the situation remains uncertain until a transitional government is fully established.

When asked how the protests led to the demands for the prime minister to be removed, she said that political frustration had been brewing since the controversial election in January, which many believed was not free and fair.

Economic issues, such as rising food and fuel prices, further exacerbated the situation, pushing marginalised Bangladeshis deeper into poverty, she added.

Young people, in particular, were affected by a court order in June on civil service job quotas favouring the elite, making employment prospects bleak for the two million young Bangladeshis entering the workforce annually, Lewis said.

Though the quota scheme was rescinded, protests evolved into broader calls for prime minister Hasina’s resignation, with demonstrators from various societal sectors demanding change and transparency they felt were missing.

Lewis stressed the importance of inclusive dialogue and the formation of a responsive interim government to address the nation’s challenges and aspirations.